High School Stunners

You EXPECT several HSR's to happen at meets like the New Balance Nationals and the Brooks PR.
And yes, at some State Championships---like California and New Jersey.
But WHOA there, Baby, don't get carried away!!

(Yeah, tell that to Sydney McLaughlin and Tara Davis---and several others!)

Davis ALMOST won the California State MEET!!
Not just an event or two or three, but the entire frigging meet!!!
Her 30 points JUST missed winning the STATE Championships!!
WOW!

Her first event (on the "finals" day) was the Long Jump!
So she bashes out a 22-1.75---but it's windy!!
UGH!
So she comes back and leaps 22-1---LEGAL!!!
Breaks a Marion Jones Meet Record, and moves her from 4th to 3rd A-T HS!!
Next came the 100H.
She crushes the field in just 12.83 seconds---BUT it's with a 3.7 wind!
Wind notwithstanding, it's the fastest EVER time run under all conditions!!
She ends her DAY----Yes, all the same day!!--with a victory in the TJ, although her winning mark couldn't match her Qualifier of 43-4 from the previous day, an OUTdoor PR!
But she remains 11th A-T HS!

As for Ms McLaughlin, what can one say?
She's simply a Non-Pro-PRO---at least performance-wise!!
She opened up her NJ meet with 400H in 54.03.
That breaks her own Age 17 record, her own HSR, and is the fastest time for anyone still a teenager!!
She's the 3rd fastest in the WORLD right now!!
It's the Senior Class record.
She remains 1st A-T HS, and moves from 17th A-T US, tied with 1 other, to 16th!!
Then she ran the flat 400 in 51.88, missing her 2016 OUTdoor PR by 0.01 seconds!!

Oh yeah, she also sped 200 meters in 22.96, making her 17th A-T HS, tied with 3 others!!
Remember my recent correction about Katia Seymour's reported 22.89 being found to be wind-aided?
I said that Sanya Richards-Ross had been sent OFF the list by Seymour's supposed mark!
Then I added she was back ON---after finding Seymour's mark was windy!
Well, she's now OFF again---and this time for real---because of McLaughlin's entrance!!
I'm dizzy!

The HS "stunners" don't stop with these two---not by a long shot!!

Sammy Watson ran in the adidas Boston 800 against some solid Pro's!
Charlene Lipsey won the race in 1:59.57.
But Watson, who had come by 400 in 59.37, charged home in 61.41---final time a PR of 2:00.78!!
She moves from 4th to 3rd A-T HS!!
Two women she beat were Habitam Alemu of Ethiopia and Lynsey Sharp of Great Britain, no slouches they!!

The time wasn't super fast---unless you're a Freshman girl!!
Lexy Halladay outkicked Brie Oakley and Lauren Gregory in the adidas meet Mile---4:41.80 to Oakley's 4:41.95, and Gregory's 4:42.00.
Their times do NOT make my DDD!
But who cares, when you know that Halladay has just broken the Frosh Class record held by Mary Decker (Slaney), dating from 1973!!!
BTW, she misses my list by 0.49 seconds, while Oakley missed it by 0.64 seconds!!

Lauren Harris continues to out-walk her peers!
Her latest HSR was over 1500 meters, time of 6:17.20.
This broke her own mark!!

An All-Star 4X400 Relay team ran 3:03.35 at the Great Southwest meet.
Ty Cooper, Jamal Walton, and Thomas Burns of the state of Florida were joined by a Frosh from Louisiana (Don't have his name right now!) to run about 4 seconds faster than the official HSR of 3:07.40.
However, because they weren't from one school, it will only count as an exhibition, and not eligible for record or list purposes!!
A team from Texas ran 3:08 and change in 2nd!!

Caitlin Collier sped 800 meters in 2:03.32!
This 11th Grader is now 15th A-T HS, tied with 1 other!
Oh yes, she WON the race---against some Pro's & Collegians!!
Her splits were 60.98 and 62.34!

Brandon Miller ran 800 meters in 1:50.84, breaking the Frosh Class record held by Michael Granville since 1993!!

I mentioned Thomas Burns a bit ago.
He improved his 300H PR AGAIN!!
This time, it was 35.25--making him 2nd A-T HS, and gives him the Junior Class record!
Charles Brockman ran 35.62 in 2nd, making him 12th A-T HS!!

Shae Anderson continues to rock and roll!!
She won the 400 in 52.91.
Then PR'ed in the 300H with 40.31.
It was a good race, with Jurnee Woodward taking 2nd in 40.79, followed closely by Shante Robinson's 40.84!!
(If not for someone named Sydney....!!!)

Did I forget to mention that we have yet one MORE sub-4:00 HS Miler??
In the Festival of Miles race in St Louis, Australian Morgan McDonald won the race in 3:57.5.
In 3rd came Reed Brown, his 3:59.30 making him HS Miler Number Ten---but actually makes him 4th A-T HS, time-wise!!
His final lap took just 56.8 seconds!!

Other significant HS marks---
KC Lightfoot PV'ed 17-8.50, making him 16th A-T HS, tied with 3 others!
Alyssa Wilson threw the Discus 182-0, making her 11th A-T HS, tied with 1 other!
Dana Baker's 164-2 JT makes her 20th A-T HS!
Gianna Rao threw the Hammer 185-8, making her 21st A-T HS, tied with 1 other!
Skylar Ciccolini had a JT of 164-9, making her 18th A-T HS!
Jacob Slate sent his Ball & Chain (HT!) out a HS-leading 231-1, making him 22nd A-T HS!
But Michael Feldman took the lead away, his 238-1 moving him from 17th A-T HS to 13th!!
Tyrese Cooper ho-hummed his way around the track in 45.38--a non-PR!
Joseph Anderson had a speedy 110H---13.33 (1.4)---making him 6th A-T HS!
Rachel Baxter missed her 3 tries at 14-5, but she won the CA State title with 14-0!!
The Men's HS Mile at the adidas meet produced some good times.
Patrick Parker won it in 4:03.99, beating Austin Hindman's 4:04.53, and Casey Clinger's 4:04.87!
Titiana Marsh got a big OUTdoor PR in the TJ, her 43-5 making her 8th A-T HS!
And Kathleen Young got a big OUTdoor SP PR---her 53-5 making her 11th A-T HS!!

I reported that Dathan Ritzenhein had won the Manchester (England) 10K in 28:06.
Well, Tirunesh Dibaba took the Women's race in 31:03.
BTW, Ancient Bernard Lagat took 2nd to Ritz, time of 28:13!!
He's just 42 years old!!

Sandi Morris Vaulted 15-10.50 on May 25th, taking over the World lead!
Three Women cleared 15-1 in the PV in Chula Vista.
Morgann LeLeux beat Katie Nageotte and Kristin Hixson!
Nageotte's mark matches her 2016 PR!
Kortney Ross got an OUTdoor PR with her 14-9!

The Adrian Martinez meet had some good marks.
David Torrence took the Men's Mile in 3:53.22, with Robert Domenic and Kyle Merber both running in the 3:54's!
Nicole Tully's 4:30.22 took the Women's race, beating Eleanor Fulton's 4:30.34!
Ce'aira Brown won the 800 in 2:01.10, with Cecilia Barowski in 3rd with 2:01.81.
Kemoy Campbell won the 3000 in 7:44.90, beating Thomas Curtin's 7:45.11.
Marielle Hall took the Women's race in 8:55.55, with Cally Macumber running her best race in awhile, finishing 2nd in 9:00.92!!

At the adidas meet, Michael Stigler took the 400H in 48.69, while Novlene Williams-Mills beat Courtney Okolo in the 400--51.69 to 51.93!
Buze Diriba won the 3000 in 8:45.44.
Brandon McBride beat Marcin Lewandowski in the 800--1:45.36 to 1:45.76.
Chris O'Hare won the 1500 in 3:39.31, with Drew Hunter ending in 5th, time of 3:40.35.
Muktar Idris won a solid 5000 in 13:01.04, with Cyrus Rutto in 2nd with 13:03.44!!

The Furman Elite 1500's were fast!
Izaic Yorks won the Men's race in 3:38.01.
Canadian Charles Philibert-Thiboutot was 2nd in 3:38.20, with Cory Leslie 3rd in 3:38.51, and Brannon Kidder's 3:38.79 taking 4th!!

The Women's race saw BIG PR's from Marta Freitas (4:05.71) in 1st, and Shannon Osika (4:06.17) in 3rd.
Stephanie Garcia's 4:05.98 was 2nd, while Nicole Sifuentes was 4th in 4:06.24!

A pair of SP marks from the Old Country (Europe!!) produced National Records!!
Tomas Stanek's 72-2.50 is the NR of the Czech Republic!!
The old mark was from 1987!!
He's now 24th A-T World!!
And Darlon Romani's 71-7.25 broke his own National Record of Brazil!!
Mutaz Barshim HJ'ed 7-9.25, to lead the World!
Yulimar Rojas TJ'ed 49-1.
It's not a PR, but it does give her the Age 21 record!!
Antonio Alkana ran the 110H in 13.11 in a meet in Prague, giving him the National Record of South Africa---and ALL of Africa!!
Gia Lewis-Smallwood had a DT of 215-11, beating the 210-10 of Valerie Allman!

Some "odd" events were run on a straightaway track set up on the streets of Boston on the last day of the adidas meet!
Shaunae Miller-Uibo took the 200 in 21.76.
To put that into perspective, note that Tommie Smith had run a straight 200 in 19.5, but 0.5 faster than his curve time!
So figure SMU's time might be REALLY worth about 22.26 if run on a REAL track around a curve!!

Tori Bowie took the 150 in a speedy 16.30!
Wayde Van Niekerk's 200 took 19.84.  (See above!)
Shamier Little won the 200H in 26.00---also on the straightaway!!

The PV saw Alysha Newman's 15-1 beating the 14-9 of Jenn Suhr!!

Finally--in the marks department--I have the Women's 1500 at the Boston meet!
(Run on the REAL track!!  LOL)
Emily Lipari---having HER year!!--won it in 4:12.32.
Dominique Scott-Erfurd & Eleanor Fulton were also under 4:13.
Then came Gabrielle Grunewald!!
She may have run "only" 4:17.75--but she WON the hearts of the World---delaying her cancer treatments trying to qualify for the USATF meet!
And DESPITE starting chemo treatments tomorrow (Tuesday), she said she's going to run ANOTHER 1500--this week!!
Words are not enough!
My deepest love and support for this strongest of Women!!

In other news---
Sara Hall won the Freihofer's 5K for Women--time of 15:49!
Aliphine Tuliamuk was 2 seconds back!

Camille Herron won the 56 mile Comrades Marathon in South Africa---a very hilly & tough course!
She's the first US Woman to win this race---the Women's division, that is!!
Her time was 6:27 & change---That's 6 hours and 27 minutes, folks!!---and she won by 4 minutes!!

You know that Ed Cheserek and Molly Seidel are NOT going to race at the NCAA meet this week!
But did you know that BOTH are now Profeshes??
Yep, both signed with the same agent, but no announcements of sponsors---yet!

Carmelita Jeter has NOT retired---but said she will NOT race in 2017!!

You've no doubt heard the Old Wives tale that twins do everything together--right?
Well, Lexi and Tori Weeks said both are getting married this summer!!
Okay, not on the same day, or at the same ceremony--but.....!!!
Tori will go down the aisle first, marrying Seth Hoggard on July 8th.
Lexi will follow on August 12th, marrying Derek Jacobus, an Arkansas Decathlete!
Hoggard is a LJ'er, as far as I can tell, and they've been dating since HS!
Both said they're committed to PV'ing too!!

I'll close with a Correction!
In my Gotzis report, I said that Grit Sadeiko had PR'ed with 6280!
True!
But I got her mixed up with her sister GRETA Sadeiko!!
And I was wrong about Greta's school too---she attended Florida State, not Florida!!
And her PR is 5815 points---not "stuck in the 5600-5700 range"!!
Sorry, Ladies!
BTW, Grit was born July 29, 1989, while Greta was born May 29, 1993!

Next post(s) will be my NCAA Previews!!
Most likely early on Wednesday, right before the meet begins!!

See you then!